Support Groups ?

MDR

I am posting here because this is not general commentary on my life living
with condition X. It is a question of what is gained by investing time and energy in support groups, what am I or indeed anyone else looking to get out of them ?

Are they hopelessily rehashing the same difficulties facing all the members. Is a bunch of people sitting around all talking about the shared difficulty not continually re-enforcing that difficulty's effect on their lives. Perhaps they would be better just getting on with it, instead of saying poor me ?

And from a personal perspective what would I get out of it, would it
do me any good to sit around and see people in a worse position than
myself, and be in a position that I ultimately could end up in, because
lets face it, the people who living ok with condition aren't going to go
to the meeting.

The reason I am thinking about setting up a support group is because
of the relative low incidence of the condition I live with (never use the term 'suffer from', starving people in africa suffer, I am mildy incovienced). I have never physically met a person also living with the same condition.

So what is to be gained by a support group, would it merely be a social exercise for me? are there any books on the subject ?

neuro-praxis

The nature of personal problems (be they physical, emotional, a combination, whatever) is often that with them comes a lack of perspective (we either belittle them or convince ourselves that noone else has ever been through this). Sometimes discussing issues/solutions in a group setting with others who've been there helps that perspective balance be restored.

You don't sound like you need a perspective check though. Having said that, it's ok to be vulnerable you know!

Group support also gives you an opportunity to come alongside others in their struggles and offer them the benefit of your experience.

It just doesn't work for some people though, but there is no reason not to try something for that reason.

MDR

I am often vunerable, I find it doesn't get me anywhere usually,
I am going to have to consider this somemore me thinks.

Thanks for the feedback.